Burnley manager Sean Dyche has insisted that defender Michael Keane fully "deserves" his place among the nominees for the PFA Young Player of the Year award.
The recently-capped England international has been named on the six-man shortlist for the accolade along with Leroy Sane, Jordan Pickford, Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku.
Dyche has no doubt that the young defender is worthy of recognition from his peers, with Keane the only outfield player to make the cut from a side outside the top seven in both the PFA Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year categories.
"It's a great sign for him and he deserves to be in that company," he told reporters. "He's in some very good company, some players who are having absolutely fine seasons, and he's having a very strong season too.
"We're not shining lights of the Premier League or a superpower, so for other players to see that and say 'hang on a minute, he's been terrific in a smaller side at a smaller club' is good, it's good of his peers to recognise that."
Keane, who came through Manchester United's academy ranks, has been linked with numerous Premier League heavyweights in recent weeks.
Daniel Lewis
